Collapsible step-ladder.



No. 856,956. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

J. s. HOBBS.

GOLLAPSIBLE STEP LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1906.

2 SHEETS-SKBET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

COLLAPSIBLE STEP LJ KDDELJ.

APPLICATION FILED LZAY16,1906.

2 SEEETS-SHEBT 12 ljhlflii lill JOHN Hosts, up

GfihhiiF-E} Application fihul lisy 16, 190-11 To a, who/"rt it IT/16f] (unicorn:

Be it known that 1, Jons zen of tho Unitod States, residing; at iflifitliilil, in the county of Sussex and State ol lhsliiwore, have invented now and uselul l lll Hl'z }Vtments in Collapsible Step-Ladders, of which the following is a. s iieoiiioution.

This invention rolutes to it collopsiblo slop ladder, and tho purpose of the some is to provide 3, step ladder 'herein tho ports 12:11.; he readily separated and reassembled l'or venionoo in transportstion and storage and also to render the mmiul'ucturo ol' the s: 11;: superior without in the loust (loll-noting from the necessary strength of dii-z'ior-s of this class. i

The improvol stop ladder embodies same elements as usually found in the m mon form of st p ladders with the :uIdi' structural features eniluulyiug tho iuvou The invontiou consists in the ronslriu and arrangement of tho several parts 1 i will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is :i. y'wrspmitiw View of a step ladder embodying tho fem ores of the invention. Fly 2 is :1 detail rioss se -s tion through the upper lop board and it por .tion of tho side rails. 5. I3 is a viowsimilor to Fig. 2 through our of the intorme step l)Ot1-l(l--L]'1(l the sido mils. l ig. rearelo vation oi tho lzuldor. Fig. 5 is :i do! iii elevation showing the stop boards and braces oi the ladder dotuehed and the palm reduced to compact form for storzwi'i or trans portation. Fig. 0 is :1, detail View or one of the step boards showninvertoiil. r 1g. 7 is e side elevation of the ladder.

sllllllitl" numerals oi "oronoe iu'o e m ployed to indicate oorres several views.

The numeral 1 designates side rails, 2 legs hinged tliQf'Bl'O and :ulsptod to he hold sruuiod from the said rails the requisite distance by Spreaders 3 formed with intormedimo h joints, the spreader-s li-ciug hinged to t 1 and having their opposite extreiuiti and provided with openings 5 to fit o studs or projections (3 sorured to the said legs. Removably applied to the upper united extremities of the rails and logs and intermediotely to the legs are a. plurality of step boards 7 and 8, the top stop board '5' being greater Width than the intermediate stem ilding ports in tho oards, as in ordinary step ladder structures.

S. llonizs, zioilifour 5 5 of tho hoards 1 iuurr mzd outer surlueos thereof hysuitable bolts or oil preferred l'ustouings adopted or tlu: puloose, said straps being preferably projected in rear of tho legs on each side of tho ladder and continuous for a purpose which will ho u1 .re l'ully' hereinafter set forth. The upper edge portions ol tho inner opposing s mos l'orui with the iuljuoeut parts of the side rails moans l'or receiving angulurmemburs or pirates board [it gul u intervals on the inner 1 l 'tln: rails l, singularbrackets ed by suitable l'iisteuings 12, igugo outer metallic retaining in the rails and provided with ping bolts or other unulogous which extend through the lirturou the fastening devices emor fixing the brackets and plates to The rails uro longitudinally slotr 35, and tho clamping bolts 14 are 1 through the said slots so as to n}; the rail structure as much rmluoing the number of parisung devices. it stop hoards 8 has :2, pair of anguzv uuunlwrs or plates 16 attached 5* si ilo thereof close to the oppou angular portions of said 1uerno-ors or plutos deguuiding flush with the ends and reniovubly insortiblo betwvon the uu gulsr br elcels and tho inner sidos of tho rolls 1.

filter the hwu'ds position to ll11;i':sils

lo 1. or the outer sides of the rails and p.- through opouiugs 17 in the Lento-rs of the dept-lining); portions of the angular plates souurod lo the step Hoard:- S and receiving on. their inner ends. is removubly sew cl to the rm 5 and spring bolts 18 carried by the inner ol the straps 9 which engage the dept-n. portions of the angular members or plutos 1U, suitz'ihlo openings being provided in the members 8 for this purpose.

lhe angular members or pistes on the top and intoriueuiote step hoards are firmly The to step Each of the inrsced respectively between inner portions the straps and the rails and between the number of fastening devices penetrating the rails is reduced to a minimum and the step hoards ere free, of nails or other iestenings inserted longitudinally in the ends thereof. The weight imposed upon the step boards the use of the ladder brought to bear upon the upper ends oi the rails and legs and the brackets secured to the inner sides of the reilsin such manner as to produce a stable ladder structure. The i'astenings for the step boards ere also of such simple form that eid'perts may be readily separated or dises .ecieted for the purpose of transportation or tor-age or to reduce the latter toes small it Lilli as possible. I

The lower extremities of the legs are provided with a. cross brace 19 having the ends 20 held against the edges of said legs, and

also having openings 21 therein to engage rearwerdiy projecting studs or pins fixed in the legs, the ends 20 or" the brace being prevented from accidentally separating from the less by pivoted keepers of angular form which are turned tliereover. These keepers ray be ren lily released from the ends of the brace or L1G? latter withdrawn from the when desired to reduce the ladder to compact form. The ladder also includes in its organization euxilisry legs 23 connected b y an intermedietely pivoted cross or X- .ce 2%, the ends 25 of the members of this cross or E Q-brace sg-iiiiost the prop legs and also provided with openings to lit over pins or projections 27 fixed in. the said legs, angular keepers 28 being also provided in this instance to engage the ends of the members of the said brace to prevent accidental separation thereof from. the prop legs. When the prop legs are not in use, they are held in close relation to the rear er s of main legs 2, and the said legs 2 have rearwardly extending guide clips 2!} to prevent n'ioveniont of the auxiliary prop logs. The upper ends of the prop legs are hinged or pivotally disposed in the extremities of the straps fl: The function of those prop legs is to support the ladder in places where it is desired to firmly hold the legs 2 and rails 1 other then a horizontal support as, for inst-once, on stairs or analogous grades, so as to facilitate the use of the ledder in our *tion with a wall in o. hall adjocont to a st May for pampering, painting, or

other purposes.

having bearing directivshown by Fig. 5, errnit the rails and legs to be drawn into 0 ose relation and .the step boards and braces under such conditions may also beclosely-pscked against the folded legs and rails, and thus reduce the complete ladder and allow storage thereof in 2. compare.- tively small space. This is materially. edventa-geous in step ladders employed for domestic use. The simplicity of the several features of the ladder, and particularly the iastenings for the step boards and also for the braces, render it possible to expeditidusly assemble the several ladder elements when it is desired to use the ladder in operative condition. It is also proposed to apply to the ladder the usual pail or bucket supporting shelf. The spreeders 3 also engage studs or projections 30 on the outer sides of the auxiliary prop legs, and adjacent to said studs or-projeotions are ivoted keepers 31, similar to those hereto ore described, which are movable over the ends of the spreaders to prevent accidental disengagement thereof from the prop legs. It will be understood that the prop legs ere used with or independently of the main legs .2, or in most instances said prop legs will c employed in places where it is not practicable to use the main legs, and hence one set of Spreaders, by the arrangement set forth, will be ample for holding both the main and prop legs in proper spaced relation with respect to the rails.

While the preferred form of the ladder has been shown and described, it Will be understood that modifications in the proportions, dimensions and details of construction may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described is claimed, is:

' 1. In a step ladder, the combination with cells sible step supporting rails andlegs, of brac ots immovably held against the inner sides of the le s, step boards having depend.- ing end members removably fitted between the brackets and inner surfaces of the rails, the ends of the step boards being also held in close engagement Withthe inner surfaces of the rails when the depending members engage the brackets, and removable means en gaging the rails, brackets and members.

2. A step ladder involving side rails with anguler brackets, clamping bolts extending through said brackets, and step boards having angular plates secured to the undersides thereof and insertible between the brackets and the rails, the clamping bolts seperebly engaging the said brackets and an ular plates, the bolts being operative to re ease the angular plates Without separation from the ladder rails. k

3. A step ladder having rails and legs, metallic straps disposed over the inner and outer sides of the rails and legs, spring bolts disposed on the inner portions of the straps,

theinvention, What ICC . versely toward and atop step having depending members insertible between the inner straps and the adjacent ladder members, the spring bolts removably engaging the .said depending member.

4. A step ladder having rails and legs, 1ne tallic straas engaging the upper extremities of the rails and legs, and a top step board having depending members rexnovably insertible between the straps and the rails.

5. A step' ladder having rails, collapsible legs movable with respect to the rails and provided with outwardly extending projections, spreaders niovably attached to the rails and havin openings to engage the projections on the egs, and movable keepers on a part of the le s to engage the spreader-s.

6. A step ladder involving side rails having steps removably disposed therein, collapsible hinged le s, a lower brace removably applied at its ends to the rear edges of the legs, and keepers carried by the legs to move over the ends of the brace.

7. A step ladder involving side rails, independent pairs of hinged legs, removable top and intermediate step boards, the pairs of legs being hinged to move toward and from the rails and both the legs and rails being transversely collapsible when the step boards are removed, and independent brace devices removably applied. to the'rear edges of the pairs of legs.

8. A step ladder having rails with top and intermediate steps reinovably applied.thereto main legs hinged to move to and from the rails, auxiliary prop legs nrovably attached to the upper part of the ladder in rear of the main legs and movable independently of the said main legs, spreader-s attached to the rails and connectible to both the main and auxiliary legs, and independent brace devices attached to the rear edges of the main legs and auxiliary legs, the rails, main legs and auxiliary legs being collapsible transeach other when the steps and braces are removed.

9. A step ladder having rails with removable ,step boards, main supporting legs hingedly connected to the upper extremities of the rails, and shorter auxiliary prop legs in rear of the main legs and also hinged to the same portion of the ladder as the main legs, the rails, main legs and prop legs being unitedly collapsible in a transverse direction toward each other, the auxiliary prop legs being operative independent of the main prop legs and movable in close engagement with the latter when the main prop legs are used.

1'0. A step ladder having rails and main legs hinged thereto, step boards removably held by the rails, a brace rcmovably engaging the lower rear edge portions of the main legs, auxiliary prop legs hinged to the same part of the ladder as the main legs, a removable collapsible cross brace en aging the rear edges of the prop legs, anc spreaders inovably attached to the rails for engaging both the main and prop le s, the rails and main and prop legs being collapsible.

11. A step ladder comprising side rails with angular brackets, step boards having angular plates secured to the underside at the ends thereof and formed with intermediate downwardly opening slots, and securing devices extending through the rails and brackets and engaging the slots of the angular plates.

12. A step ladder comprising side rails with angular brackets and step boards having depending slots to removably fit in the brackets, and means engaging the brackets and the slots of the lates to hold the .step boards in immovab e position With relation to the rails.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. HOBBS.

Witnesses:

F. J. HARRIS,

W. E. STUART.

end plates with intermediate 

